TRI-COUNTY ELECTION PROTECTION · 2026

Protecting the Vote
Through the Count

Our responsibility continues after the polls close. From Election Night through certification, 805 EPIC is building a nonpartisan framework for lawful observation, ballot assistance and verified public information across the 805

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01 · The mission

Election protection is more than Election Day

Our work addresses the public processes that determine whether eligible ballots are properly reviewed, counted and certified. We support voters, observe lawful procedures and share documented facts—not rumors or projected results

Independent

Nonpartisan monitoring focused on transparent procedures and voters' rights

Evidence-based

Document what is observed, identify the source and verify before publishing

Noninterfering

Respect election workers, ballot privacy and official observation rules

02 · Operating model

How the protection network works

Information moves through one careful process: observe or receive a concern, verify what is known, then direct it to the right election authority or publish a sourced update

Proposed coordination model · This is a proposed coordination design, not a claim that county leads, shifts or an internal hotline are already operating

Open network mapExplore the six workstreams

INPUTVoter or observer

Documented questions, public observations and election notices

See response protocol COORDINATIONVerify and triage

Check source, urgency, county and required next step

Explore workstreams OUTCOMERefer or inform

Official election contact, voter assistance or sourced public update

Get voter help

Choose a workstream to expand its role, information source and official handoff

01Observation

Observe permitted election activity

Trained observers follow county rules, check in where required, and take factual, noninterfering notes

INFORMATION SOURCE

County observer notice and permitted public proceedings

HANDOFF

Observation note → verification → county election office when warranted

Official observer regulationsOpen full supporting guide
02Ballot assistance

Help voters correct a ballot signature

Connect voters to the official tracking and signature-correction instructions. Voters make corrections directly to their county, not through EPIC

INFORMATION SOURCE

Voter inquiry, official tracking status and county instructions

HANDOFF

Voter inquiry → official county instructions → voter submits correction

Signature correction instructionsOpen full supporting guide
03Canvass and audits

Follow the canvass and public audits

Observe permitted canvass activities and 1% manual tallies under county rules. Election officials perform the counting and audits

INFORMATION SOURCE

Published county schedule and official 1% manual tally rules

HANDOFF

County notice → observer notes → documented public clarification

Public manual tally rulesOpen full supporting guide
04Incident intake

Document concerns and refer promptly

Record factual details and available evidence. Send urgent problems to the proper election authority or qualified nonpartisan voter-help provider

INFORMATION SOURCE

Firsthand report, time, location and supporting evidence

HANDOFF

Concern → verification and triage → appropriate official referral

805 EPIC reporting pageOpen full supporting guide
05Public information

Publish verified, dated updates

Explain the difference between unofficial and certified results. Cite county or state sources and avoid unsupported claims

INFORMATION SOURCE

County and state election bulletins

HANDOFF

Official release → source check → public update

Official 2026 results hubOpen full supporting guide
06County coordination

Confirm each county’s local procedures

Proposed county liaisons confirm observation access, public schedules and the correct contact routes. Assignments are not yet confirmed

INFORMATION SOURCE

Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo election notices

HANDOFF

County notice → liaison verification → network briefing

View all three county officesOpen full supporting guide
Three county lanes

Santa Barbara · Ventura · San Luis Obispo

Local procedures and observation schedules come from each county elections office, not from 805 EPICView county sources
Operational activation checklist

These are required coordination steps, not claims that shifts or assignments have already been confirmed

County coordinationDesignate county leads and backups; confirm election office contact routes
Observer accessReview written county rules, public schedules and check-in procedures
Voter assistanceCheck ballot-tracking and county signature-correction instructions
Incident routingSet a privacy-conscious intake standard and urgent referral pathway
Public updatesAssign source checks and date-stamped publication review
DocumentationKeep an evidence log and a post-certification summary process
03 · The protocol

Observe · Verify · Refer · Report

Open each step to see exactly what to document, verify and where to refer a concern

01ObserveWhat did you see?

Record time, place, the election procedure observed and a neutral description. Respect access rules and voter privacy

Review California observer rulesOpen full Observation guide
02VerifyWhich facts can be checked?

Separate firsthand observations from claims. Compare with official notices or direct county confirmation before treating a concern as established

Find the relevant county officeOpen full Incident Response guide
03ReferWho can act on it?

Urgent voting problems go to election authorities or qualified nonpartisan assistance. Voters needing signature correction should use the state county-specific instructions

Open voter assistance and reportingOpen full Tri-County Operations guide
04ReportWhat can be published?

Document the referral and its outcome when known. Share only verified, dated information and protect voters’ identifying details

Open official 2026 results hubOpen full Verified Updates guide

Observers do not handle ballots, direct election workers, interfere with counting, make unsupported claims or announce election outcomes

04 · Election protection timeline

November 3 through December 11

Open a date to see the corresponding action and official source. The bands below show how work may overlap through certification

THE 2026 COUNTING AND CERTIFICATION WINDOW39 calendar dates · 8 expandable milestones
Nov 3Poll closing

Polls close, counting begins

At 8 p.m. Pacific, polls close and counties begin reporting unofficial results. Lawful observation and voter assistance continue

805 EPIC FOCUS

Election Day observation, incident referral and verified results explanations

Official election calendarOpen this milestone in full timeline
Nov 4Canvass begins

Official canvass begins

Counties begin the official canvass, including reconciliation and continuing ballot reviews. Procedures are administered by each county

805 EPIC FOCUS

Monitor county notices and public observation opportunities

How the official canvass worksOpen this milestone in full timeline
Nov 10Mail deadline

Last day for eligible mailed ballots to arrive

Vote-by-mail ballots mailed with a valid Election Day postmark must be received by the county by this date to qualify

805 EPIC FOCUS

Share statewide requirements and official ballot-tracking resources

Election dates and resourcesOpen this milestone in full timeline
Nov 17Cure notice

Signature notice milestone

County election offices provide required notices to voters identified with missing or mismatched signatures under the statewide calendar

805 EPIC FOCUS

Encourage voters to check official county notices and follow approved correction steps

Signature verification guideOpen this milestone in full timeline
Nov 18SLO tally

Public manual tally in San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo County has scheduled a public 1% manual tally. Confirm county observation rules before attending

805 EPIC FOCUS

Arrange lawful observation only after confirming public access with the county

SLO County election pageOpen this milestone in full timeline
Nov 25Signature cure

Final signature correction deadline

The election-specific deadline for missing or nonmatching ballot-envelope signatures is 5 p.m. Follow each county’s receipt instructions

805 EPIC FOCUS

Direct voters promptly to official correction procedures

Verify My SignatureOpen this milestone in full timeline
Dec 3Counties certify

County certification deadline

The last day for counties to certify results for the November 3 General Election

805 EPIC FOCUS

Review county statements and compile a sourced observation summary

California election calendarOpen this milestone in full timeline
Dec 11State certifies

Statewide Statement of Vote certified

Scheduled deadline for the California Secretary of State to certify the statewide Statement of Vote

805 EPIC FOCUS

Publish a factual wrap-up of documented assistance and observation, with limitations

Official state calendarOpen this milestone in full timeline
WORKSTREAM MAPIllustrative coordination windows, not official task-completion data

County-specific observation dates Santa Barbara County's 1% tally drawing is scheduled for November 5. San Luis Obispo County's public manual tally is scheduled for November 18. Check county notices for its start time and observation rules

Ballot signatures The November 25 correction deadline is 5 p.m. Follow county-specific instructions and do not wait for the final day

California election deadlinesBallot signature correctionPublic manual tally rules
05 · Tri-County coverage

Follow the official county process

Observation opportunities, canvass schedules and reporting procedures are administered by each county elections office. 805 EPIC will coordinate county liaisons; observation shifts and volunteer coverage will be announced only after confirmation

Santa Barbara

Official 2026 election page, observer guidelines and canvass dates. Manual tally drawing scheduled for November 5

County election information

Ventura

County Registrar of Voters information, public observation rules and official updates

County Elections Division

San Luis Obispo

Official election page, observer panel plan and publicly observable manual tally scheduled for November 18

County election information

Open full Tri-County Operations Guide

06 · Participate and get assistance

Protect the process with verified information

Follow your ballot, access election assistance and help strengthen independent, nonpartisan observation across the 805

Track My BallotOfficial California ballot tracking Report a ProblemFind the correct voter-help and reporting pathway Get InvolvedExplore election protection volunteer opportunities

California election assistance: 800-345-VOTE (8683) · Español: 800-232-VOTA (8682) · 805 EPIC is independent and is not a county elections office

Verified official resources

Framework updated October 29, 2026. Links and operational schedules should be reconfirmed before assignments and as the canvass progresses. Only election authorities publish official results and certification

2026 statewide deadlinesElection observer regulationsPublic manual tallySignature correctionOfficial canvass process